Legend of the North

Chapter 6: System

Every beast summoned through the summoning ritual always had some kind of ability or power that made it unique. A mouse summoned through the ritual could have the power to read minds, though this kind of matchup was quite rare. The power a beast had usually correlated with their nature, so a snake would likely have a poison-related power. They also typically only had one ability. The more powerful summons could have more than one, with the highest ever heard of being five.

Cristian had dreamed of having a dragon as his companion even though he knew the chances were slim. His family had summoned relatively normal animals with decent abilities. His father and mother had a lion and lioness as their partners that could control fire.

Considering Fenrir was the great beast of the end, he expected something great, but he could have never imagined what he heard next.

[Given my current state, I believe the best option is to lend you my powers.]

“...Excuse me?” he blurted out.

[I can’t exert the full extent of my powers, so I’m lending you my powers.]

There was so much to unwrap there that Cristian didn’t know where to begin. What did Fenrir mean by lending its powers? Was he literally giving its powers to him?

[I’m beginning to worry that the trip back into the past has damaged your mind. I’m letting you use the full extent of my powers until I’ve full recovered.]

He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before asking, “How does that even work?”

[It’s thanks to the bond forged between us through the summoning ritual.]

“If that’s the case, how come no one else can use their partner’s powers?” Cristian pointed out.

[Our situation is different. You can’t seriously compare me to those other beasts.]

It seemed that every answer to his question always led to the fact that Fenrir was the great beast of the end. Maybe he shouldn’t even bother asking any more questions since he would only receive the same answer.

[However, though I’m lending you my power, your puny human body won’t be able to use all of it. Attempting to do so would most likely kill you, which is why I have endeavored to bestow upon you a tutorial.]

As soon as Fenrir spoke those words, a blue screen popped up right in front of Cristian. Caught off guard, he fell back and landed on his butt. It took him a moment to recover and read what was in front of him.

[Introduction]

[Welcome, Cristian Snow. You are the first and last user of the Fenrir System. To ensure you are able to properly use Fenrir’s power, Fenrir had this system created to act as your guide. Please ensure you follow everything carefully to ensure a long life.]

That definitely wasn’t ominous, but Cristian had to admit he was grateful that Fenrir was giving him a guide. In the past, he might have been reckless and would have tried out the wolf’s powers without considering the consequences. Now he knew better and would rather be safe than sorry.

“So, as long as I follow this guide, I should be able to use your powers without any problems?” he asked as he pointed at the floating text box.

[To an extent, yes. It should cover most cases, but it isn’t infallible. The human mind is beyond my understanding.]

That was the best he could hope for given he was basically handed what was probably infinite power. While he still didn’t know the extent of Fenrir’s capabilities, he could imagine they would be a huge help in his goals to prepare for the apocalypse.

As if reading his thoughts, a new text box appeared where the previous one had been. He took a moment to read the text and smirked.

[Tutorial]

[The first ability that the user has access to is manipulating a dimensional space. You are currently only able to manipulate a 10x10x10 space that remains at room temperature. Time moves at the same rate.]

[Please gather as many supplies as you can to fill the space.]

“Is that in feet or meters?” he asked.

[The measurements are in feet.]

That was basically the size of a standard bedroom. For the supplies he needed to gather for the apocalypse, it wasn’t a lot, but it was still a lot more than he had before. It was unfortunate that storing perishable food wasn’t an option since time ran normally in the space. Otherwise, that would have been the first thing he would have grabbed. In that case, he should aim for medicine, as they would undoubtedly be valuable in the future and would last longer than perishable food.

[What do you think? Amazed at my prowess?]

“Of course. As expected of the great beast of the end,” he said sincerely.

[I’m glad you understand.]

Seeing Fenrir hold its head up so proudly and wag its tail like a happy puppy made the corners of his mouth twitch.

If he weren’t afraid of offending the wolf, he would have dared to call it cute. Adorable even. Fortunately, Fenrir was unaware of where Cristian’s thoughts were, and he intended to keep it that way so as not to ruin their current relationship.

“There’s still one problem though. I need money to get supplies.”

[That isn’t something I can help with.]

While Cristian was disappointed that was the case, he wasn’t surprised. It would be stranger if the wolf could somehow cough up a bunch of cash for him to use. What would a wolf use money for, much less the great beast of the end? It was counterintuitive.

“It’s fine. I’ll find a way,” he said as he finally stood up and stretched his arms out.

[That is well and good, but perhaps you should first deal with those intruders.]

At those words, Cristian spun around, looking in the direction Fenrir was facing, and spotted some familiar faces approaching them. His hands curled into fists as the muscles in his jaw twitched.

The group stopped several feet away as the leader said, “Looks who it is. The failure.”